Cosmetic compositions containing rosemary extract and dha

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a topical composition comprising a malodor-reducing effective amount of a rosemary extract, or active fraction thereof, in combination with a self-tanning effective amount of DHA. The invention also provides a method of reducing the potential for malodor generation of a DHA composition comprising adding to the composition an effective amount of rosemary extract or active fraction thereof.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to cosmetic compositions. Morespecifically, the invention relates to self-tanning cosmeticcompositions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] With sun exposure being recognized as a significant health risk,the desirability of sitting for hours to develop a deep tan hasdiminished considerably in recent years. However, the desire to havethat bronze glow has not diminished in a large portion of thepopulation. The solution for most prudent consumers is the use ofself-tanning products. These products typically employ the compounddihydroxyacetone(DHA), which interacts with the proteins on the skin toproduce a brown color approximating a sun-derived tan. In the early daysof self-tanners, there were a number of problems which preventedwidespread acceptance, the primary one being the unnatural orange colorthat would develop on some users. However, self-tanners have improvedtremendously in recent years, and most products currently availableproduce natural and fairly long-lasting color on the user. There is oneremaining issue with self-tanners that continues to reduce theiracceptability to the consumer: after application, many users detect amalodor that lingers for up to 24 hours. The unpleasant odor apparentlyarises as a result of compounds generated on the skin upon applicationof the self-tanner. The only solution known to date is the incorporationof fragrance or oils that mask the odor to some extent; however, theaddition of fragrance is not always an acceptable option to everyproduct, and in any event does not address the root of the problem,i.e., neutralizing the compounds generated on the skin. To date, thisproblem continues to affect self-tanners, and therefore, may preventtheir more frequent usage. The present invention now provides a solutionfor the odor generated upon application of the self-tanner to the skin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates to a cosmetic compositioncomprising DHA in combination with an effective amount of a rosemaryextract or active component thereof. As used herein, the term “cosmeticcomposition” is intended to encompass any composition containing DHAintended for topical application to the skin, which may also includecompositions that are used in therapeutic applications, for example, inconjunction with PUVA therapy.

[0004] The invention also relates to a method of preventing or reducingthe generation of malodor on the skin resulting from application of aDHA-containing self-tanner, comprising applying to the skin acomposition comprising DHA combined with an effective amount of rosemaryextract.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0005] It has been unexpectedly discovered that the addition of rosemaryextract to compositions containing DHA will prevent or reduce thetypical malodor associated with the application of DHA compositions tothe skin. Rosemary extract is a natural and known material extractedfrom the rosemary plant, and having established properties as anantioxidant. However, notwithstanding its known properties, in thepresent case, where the problem seems not to arise in degradation of theformula, but rather due to a reaction on the skin about which verylittle is known, it was quite unexpected that the rosemary extractperformed so remarkably.

[0006] Rosemary extract is a generic term describing a number ofdifferent chemical compositions that may contain several differentactive components. Among the common components that are found inrosemary extract are carnosol, carnosic acid, methoxy carnosic acid,rosmarinic acid, rosmanol and rosmaridiphenol, in different proportionsdepending on the individual extract. Numerous rosemary extracts areavailable commercially, and any one can be used in the presentinvention. However, particularly preferred for use is the “Guardian”rosemary extract available from Earth Supplied Products. This extractcontains, in a base of lecithin, acetylated hydrogenated vegetableglycerides and propylene glycol, an active rosemary extract, in anamount of from about 12-30%, containing a minimum of 5% phenolicditerpenes. In particular, the active portion contains a minimum of 50%carnosic acid, carnosol in an amount of 20-35%, and methoxy carnosicacid in an amount of from about 5-15%, with minor amounts of rosmanol,rosmarinic acid and rosmaridiphenol. It will be understood that the term“rosemary extract” as used herein shall encompass not only a rosemaryextract per se, but also a composition to which the individual activecomponents, such as are noted above, are added to the compositionindividually, or in individual combinations, from synthetic or naturalsources, either from rosemary or from starting material other thanrosemary, in amounts equivalent to those described in the use of therosemary extract.

[0007] The active rosemary extract can be used in the DHA formulation inan amount of from about 0.001 to about 50% by weight of the totalcomposition. However, the extract is extremely efficacious, requiringonly small amounts to achieve reduction in odor, so the preferred rangeof use of the extract is about 0.1 to about 10% by weight of thecomposition. The extract can be added to any type of formulation inwhich DHA is ordinarily applied, for example, creams, lotions, sprays,sticks and the like, and may be aqueous, water and oil or anhydrous. Theamount of DHA employed will be in line with the typical use of thismaterial, which is generally in the range of from about 1-10%. Anotherunexpected result of the use of the rosemary extract is its lack ofadverse effect on color development with DHA. DHA is a relativelyunstable material, and is subject to alterations in its performance whenin the presence of other incompatible materials. However, surprisingly,rosemary extract has no adverse effect on the color development, and insome cases even seemed to improve it.

[0008] The invention will be further understood by reference to thefollowing non-limiting examples.

EXAMPLES Example 1

[0009] Initial studies were performed to identify compounds which mightassist in reducing the malodor associated with DHA application on theskin. A first attempt tested compounds generally known to haveodor-reducing properties, namely, dipropylene glycol, zinc acetate,choline, and aloe vera gel. No consistent positive results were obtainedwith any of these compounds.

[0010] A secondary experiment was conducted on a new raw material:‘Guardian’ Rosemary Extract produced by Earth Supplied Products. Theinfluence of Rosemary Extract (RME) on odor formation on 14 panelistsusing aqueous solutions of DHA and Rosemary Extract was investigated.Color and odor were tested on the panelists to determine any differencesin the reaction of DHA in the presence of Rosemary Extract.

[0011] Results and Discussions

[0012] I) Clinical Study: Applications of Aqueous Solutions of DHA aloneand DHA with RME to the Skin

[0013] In the presence of RME, significant odor improvement was observedon 13/14 panelists (0.25% RME). One panelist did not produce any malodorwhen DHA was applied. The improvement in odor was most evident at 24hours after the application to the skin. Under these conditions weobserved greater than 90% reduction in malodor formation.

[0014] When the color development was compared between test and controlcompositions, we observed that in the presence of RME, no difference incolor was evident. (In some cases, the color development was slightlyimproved) Therefore, while using RME significantly reduced themalodor—there was no inhibition of the DHA color reaction as was seenpreviously with other ingredients tested.

Example 2

[0015] The following illustrates a composition, a water and oilemulsion, of the invention: Material Weight % Cyclomethicone 11.00 CetylDimethicone copolyol 1.00 Cyclomethcone/PEG/PPG-18/18 dimethicone 5.00Tocopheryl acetate 0.20 Polysilicone 7/cyclomethicone 1.50 Fragrance0.40 Deionized water QS DHA 4.00 Glycerin 8.00 Sodium chloride 0.80Lactic acid 0.50 Pantethine 0.02 Cyclomethicone 2.00 Black Iron oxide0.02 Iron oxide/alumina 0.38 Mica/titanium 0.22 dioxide/iron oxides/dimethicone Mica/iron oxides 0.14 Preservative 0.50 Rosemary extract0.25 Cyclomethicone 1.00 Cyclomethicone/dimethicone/ 3.50 vinyldimethicone crosspolymer

What we claim is:
 1. A cosmetic self-tanning composition comprising a malodor-reducing effective amount of a rosemary extract, or active fraction thereof, in combination with a self-tanning effective amount of DHA.
 2. The composition of claim 1 comprising from about 0.0001 to about 50% of a rosemary extract, and about 1 to about 10% of DHA.
 3. The composition of claim 1 comprising from about 0.1 to about 10% of rosemary extract.
 4. The composition of claim 1 in which the rosemary extract comprises carnosol and carnosic acid.
 5. The composition of claim 1 in which the rosemary extract comprises at least about 50% by weight carnosic acid.
 6. The composition of claim 1 in which the rosemary extract comprises from about 20 to about 35% by weight carnosol.
 7. The composition of claim 1 in which the rosemary extract comprises from about 5 to about 15% by weight of methoxy carnosic acid.
 8. A cosmetic composition comprising from about 1 to about 10% by weight of DHA, and about 0.1 to about 10% by weight rosemary extract.
 9. The composition of claim 8 in which the rosemary extract comprises at least about 50% by weight of carnosic acid.
 10. The composition of claim 9 in which the rosemary extract contains from about 20 to about 35% by weight of carnosol.
 11. The composition of claim 10 in which the rosemary extract contains from about 5 to about 15% by weight of methoxy carnosic acid.
 12. A method of formulating a DHA-containing composition which upon application to skin generates little or no malodor, comprising adding to a composition containing DHA a malodor-reducing effective amount of a rosemary extract.
 13. The method of claim 12 in which the amount of rosemary extract is from about 0.1 to about 10% by weight.
 14. The method of claim 13 in which the rosemary extract contains carnosic acid in an amount of at least about 50% by weight.
 15. The method of claim 14 in which the rosemary comprises from about 20 to about 35% by weight of carnosol.
 16. The method of claim 15 in which the rosemary extract comprises from about 5 to about 15% by weight methoxy carnosic acid.
 17. A method of reducing or preventing the development of malodor on the skin associated with DHA-containing compositions, comprising applying to the skin the composition of claim
 1. 18. A method of reducing or preventing the development of malodor on the skin associated with DHA-containing compositions, comprising applying to the skin the composition of claim
 5. 19. A method of reducing or preventing the development of malodor on the skin associated with DHA-containing compositions, comprising applying to the skin the composition of claim
 8. 20. A method of reducing or preventing the development of malodor on the skin associated with DHA-containing compositions, comprising applying to the skin the composition of claim
 11. 